Program Chair and Presenter:

Gricel Santiago-Rivera Santiago
Family Law & Mediation Services
Madison

Presenters:

Robin Dalton
RISE Law Center
Madison

Hannah Ferry
RISE Law Center
Madison

Kari Niesen-LaScala
End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin
Madison

Shawna Stevenoski
Bilingual Training Consultants
Madison

Alexandra Wirth
Office of Court Operations
Madison

8:30 a.m. Family Law Basics from an Immigrant’s Perspective

• Review basic aspects of family law from the point of view of an immigrant, including:
• Validity of marriages and divorces
• Paternity and Paternity Acknowledgment actions
• Residency and documentation requirements
• Cultural and religious practices

Kari Niesen-LaScala, Gricel Santiago-Rivera

9:25 a.m. Immigration Status: What Family Law Practitioners Should Know

• The immigration system is complex. There are many different immigration statuses people can have
• What are the different types of immigration status and what do they mean?
• Common terms for immigration status
• Which family law proceedings affect immigration status
• Which immigration petitions affect family law proceedings

Robin Dalton, Hannah Ferry

10:15 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Battered Immigrants: Immigration Law, Restraining Orders and Family Law

• How being a victim of domestic abuse affects an immigrant in family court
• The impact of domestic violence on immigrant survivors
• Injunctions and humanitarian immigration relief
• Custody and placement considerations
• International travel and child abduction

Robin Dalton, Gricel Santiago-Rivera

11:20 a.m. Language Access in State Courts

• Use case studies to explore the nuances of translations and interpretations in family court.
• The statutory requirements about court interpreters
• what happens when there is no interpreter available
• we will discuss practical ways to ensure immigrant clients have meaningful access to the court system in Wisconsin.

Robin Dalton, Gricel Santiago-Rivera, Shawna Stevenoski, Alexandra Wirth

12:20 p.m. Questions/Program Closing

All Faculty

• Review family law basics from an immigrant’s perspective
• Understand what family lawyers should know about immigration status
• Know how family law proceedings can impact immigration status, and which immigration petitions affect family law proceedings
• Learn how to address issues affecting immigrants who are victims of domestic abuse
• Remove language barriers and improve court access for immigrant clients in Wisconsin

• Immigration lawyers
• Family lawyers
• Family Court Commissioners
• Anyone seeking to learn more about the intersection of immigration and family law

Event Brochure

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